返回首页

MandeHolford_2020-_毒液的力量——以及它如何在某一天挽救你的生命_-

How does a sea snail catch a fish? 海螺如何捕捞一条鱼?
I mean, it's a snail, so it's slow, and the fish is not. 我的意思是, 它很像蜗牛,所以它很慢, 鱼的速度却很快。
But yet, this happens. 但是呢,这件事发生了。
Hidden under the sand is a cone snail. 鸡心螺藏在沙的下面。
And that orange thing you see is kind of like a tongue. 你看见的橙色东西像一个舌头,[00:27]
snail:n.蜗牛;迟钝的人;vi.缓慢移动;vt.缓慢移动; cone:n.圆锥体,圆锥形;[植]球果;v.使成锥形;
We call it a proboscis . 我们称它为长鼻。
It uses that to track and subdue this unsuspecting fish. 用来跟踪和制服 这条毫无防备的鱼。
In this predator-prey interaction , these are clearly not your garden variety escargots . 在这种捕食者与猎物的互动中, 这些软体动物显然不如 你花园里的各种田螺那般和善,
proboscis:n.鼻子;[昆]喙;象鼻;[无脊椎]吻; track:n.小道;足迹;车辙;轨道;v.追踪;跟踪; subdue:vt.征服;抑制;减轻; unsuspecting:adj.不怀疑的;未猜想到…的; predator-prey:捕食者-食饵; interaction:n.[计]交互,相互作用;相互交流;干扰; variety:n.多样;种类;杂耍;变化,多样化; escargots:n.田螺;蜗牛(escargot的复数);
These are assassins of the sea. 它们可是大海里的刺客,
And their weapon of choice is venom . 它们选择的武器是毒液。
Venom, like the venom you find in venomous snakes and scorpions , these sea snails , they use their venom to subdue fish, worms and other snails. 就像毒蛇和蝎子体内的毒液, 这些海螺也用毒液 制服鱼类、蠕虫 和其他海螺。
assassins:n.暗杀者,行刺者;(assassin的复数) venom:n.毒液;恶意;vt.使有毒;放毒; venomous:adj.有毒的;恶毒的;分泌毒液的;怨恨的; scorpions:n.蝎子;蝎形弩(scorpion的复数形式); snails:n.[无脊椎]蜗牛; v.使成蜗纹; worms:n.蠕虫;寄生虫;幼虫;v.蠕动,曲折行进;(worm的第三人称单数和复数)
And the venom of these snails, it's not just one thing, it's actually a cocktail of toxic molecules that are packaged and delivered through a false tooth called a radula . 这些蜗牛的毒液 不只是单一成分的物质, 实际上是一种有毒分子的混合物, 由一颗叫做“齿舌”的伪齿 携带并释放。
You can think of the radulas as hypodermic needles . 你可以把齿舌 想成皮下注射针头。
Now, no need to worry, these snails are practicing good needle habits, because each radula is only used once. 不过不用担心, 这些海螺正在练习 良好的注射习惯, 因为每一个齿舌只能用一次。
cocktail:n.鸡尾酒;开味食品;n.混合物;adj.鸡尾酒的; toxic:adj.有毒的;中毒的; molecules:n.[化学]分子,微粒;[化学]摩尔(molecule的复数); radula:n.齿舌; hypodermic:n.皮下注射;皮下注射器;adj.皮下的; needles:n.针数,千针本;[印刷]折页顶针(needle复数形式);
Now from your own knowledge about venomous organisms , and the keep-you-up-at-night fish-killing video that I just showed you, you might think that venom is dangerous and all bad. 基于你对有毒生物的认知, 还有刚刚播放的 那段令人不寒而栗的杀鱼视频, 你可能会认为毒液 是危险的,有害无利。
Well, yes and no. 是,也不是。
A more accurate way of thinking of venom is to think of it as both a supervillain and a superhero. 一种更准确的理解毒液的方式 是把它同时看作 超级坏蛋和超级英雄。
In my lab, we study the evolution of venom in these sea snails as a force for good. 在我的实验室中,我们研究了 这些海螺毒液作为一种有益的力量, 是如何进化的。
organisms:n.[生物]生物体(organism的复数);[生物]有机体; accurate:adj.精确的; supervillain:超级大反派;超级大坏蛋; evolution:n.演变;进化;发展;渐进;
Sounds like a stretch , or maybe even snake oil , but actually, while there are snakes involved , the product is legit . 听起来有点夸张, 甚至可能做成蛇油, 但实际上, 虽然有涉及到蛇, 该产品本身是合法的。
One reason the venom product is so successful is that it transforms a physical warfare into a biochemical one. 基于毒液的产品 如此成功的原因之一, 是因为它把一个物理战争, 变成了生物战。
Where usually the predator-prey interaction is one of brute force, venom takes it to a molecular scale . 通常,捕食者和被捕食者之间的 相互作用是一种蛮力, 而毒液将其带入了分子层面。
stretch:v.伸展;延伸;伸出;舒展;n.伸展;弹性;舒展;一片;adj.有弹力的; snake oil:n.推销者的所谓"万应灵药";狗皮膏药(毫无用处或效果的推销品); involved:adj.有关的; v.涉及; (involve的过去式和过去分词) legit:adj.合法的;n.正统剧;正统剧院; transforms:v.[数][电]变换; n.语法转化规则; physical:adj.[物]物理的;身体的;物质的;符合自然法则的;n.体格检查; warfare:n.战争;冲突; biochemical:adj.生物化学的; brute:adj.残忍的;无理性的;n.畜生;残暴的人; molecular:adj.[化学]分子的;由分子组成的; scale:n.规模;比例;鳞;刻度;天平;数值范围;v.衡量;攀登;剥落;生水垢;
And it's not size that matters, but the mixture of your venom arsenal . 而且重要的并不是 生物体本身的尺寸, 而是毒液混合物的成分。
The chemistry of the toxins in your arsenal is what's going to enable David to conquer Goliath . 在你的武器库中 毒素的化学成分, 就是你制胜强敌的秘诀。
And in our scenario , David is clearly the snail. 在我们的研究领域中, 弱势的一方显然就是海螺。
Another feature of venom that makes it so successful is that the toxins work with the precision of a Swiss Army knife . 毒液如此成功的另一个特点, 就是其效用精度堪比瑞士军刀。
mixture:n.混合;结合体;混合物;集合体; arsenal:n.兵工厂;军械库; toxins:n.[毒物]毒素,毒质;毒素类(toxin的复数); enable:v.使能够;使有机会;使成为可能;使可行; conquer:v.占领;攻克;征服;击败,战胜;对付,克服,控制;很受欢迎 Goliath:n.巨人;哥利亚(圣经中被大卫杀死的巨人); scenario:n.方案;情节;剧本; precision:n.精度,[数]精密度;精确;adj.精密的,精确的; Swiss Army knife:n.瑞士军刀;万能的方法;
And so these toxins, they come for strongholds that help an organism to function. 这些毒素 会攻击协助生物体 发挥功能的关键组织。
So they target blood, brain and membranes . 因此,它们的作用目标 是血液、大脑和膜质。
Whether it's snail venom or snake venom, they each have components that can do things like cause your blood to clot , what we call "hemotoxic." 不管是海螺毒素还是蛇毒, 其中都含有 可以使你的血液凝结的成分, 我们称之为“血液毒性”。
strongholds:n.[军]据点;要塞;堡垒(stronghold的复数形式); membranes:n.细胞膜(membrane的复数);薄膜;膜皮; components:n.部件;组件;成份(component复数); clot:n.[生理]凝块;v.使凝结成块;凝结
Or they cause neurons in your brains to not function normally , what we call " neurotoxic ." 或者它们会导致你大脑中的 神经元无法正常工作, 我们称之为“神经毒性”。
Or they have toxins that will poke holes into the membranes of your cells, causing them to rupture and, basically , explode , what we call " cytotoxic ." 或者它们含有的毒素会在 你的细胞膜上戳出小孔, 导致它们破裂, 基本上是爆开了, 这是我们所谓的“细胞毒性”。
normally:adv.正常地;通常地,一般地; neurotoxic:adj.毒害神经的; poke:v.刺,捅;戳;伸出;刺探;闲荡;n.戳;刺;袋子;懒汉; rupture:n.破裂;决裂;疝气;vi.破裂;发疝气;vt.使破裂;断绝;发生疝; basically:adv.主要地,基本上; explode:v.爆炸;爆裂;勃然(大怒);突然发生(危险); cytotoxic:adj.[细胞]细胞毒素的;
Cellular explosion , people. 细胞爆炸了!
Now, if that is not all powerful and all present, nothing is. 没有什么比这种特性 更强大的了。
Now a little about me, and why I'm so obsessed with venom. 现在,我想谈谈我自己的经历, 以及为什么我如此痴迷毒液。
I grew up in New York City with forced access to the Natural History Museum. 我在纽约市长大, 经常“被迫前往” 自然历史博物馆参观。
Cellular:adj.细胞的;多孔的;由细胞组成的;n.移动电话;单元; explosion:n.爆炸;爆发;激增; obsessed:v.使痴迷;使迷恋;使着迷;(obsess的过去式和过去分词) Natural History:n.自然史;
I say "forced access," 我说“被迫前往”,
because I'm one of five kids, and my parents used museums as a form of childcare . 是因为我们家有五个孩子, 我父母用参观博物馆 作为一种育儿方式。
There were two rules: 他们有两条规则:
Don't lose anybody and meet Mom and Dad at the African elephants at 5:30, when the museum closes. 不要让任何人走丢, 在下午 5 点半博物馆关门的时候, 在非洲大象那里和爸爸妈妈会合。
Those totally unsupervised days running through the halls of the museum were full of adventure and exploration . 那些在博物馆大厅里 无拘无束的日子 充满了冒险和探索。
childcare:n.儿童保育;儿童照管;adj.儿童保育的;托管的; unsupervised:adj.无人监督的;无人管理的; adventure:n.冒险;奇遇;经历;冒险游戏;v.探险;以…冒险;大胆进行;闯; exploration:n.探索;勘探;探险;[医]探查术;
And that's how I feel when I'm studying venom. 那也是我研究毒液时的感受。
It's a scientific adventure. 这是一次科学冒险。
We're boldly exploring this entity that connects nature and humanity . 我们正在大胆探索 这种连接自然与人类的物质。
Another reason that I'm obsessed with venom is because of its duality . 我沉迷于毒液的另一个原因 是因为它的双重特性。
When you inject the components of a venom arsenal into an organism, it can kill or it can cure. 当你把毒液库的成分注射到 一个有机体中, 它可以杀死, 也可以治愈这个有机体。
scientific:adj.科学的,系统的; boldly:adv.大胆地;冒失地;显眼地; exploring:v.探索:考察:探查;(explore的现在分词) entity:n.实体;存在;本质; humanity:n.人类;人道;仁慈;人文学科; duality:n.二元性;[物]二象性; inject:v.注入;注射;
At a molecular level, several things can happen. 在分子水平, 可能会有几种不同的结果。
You saw one thing, paralysis in the fish. 你可以看到,鱼瘫痪了。
Now that was happening because the toxins in the venom were attacking how the fish's cells communicate with each other, preventing it from swimming away. 之所以会发生这种情况, 是因为毒液中的毒素 攻击了鱼的细胞之间的交流, 让它丧失了游开的能力。
Are there other things that I would like to use venom to attack? 还有其他我想 用毒液攻击的东西吗?
paralysis:n.麻痹;无力;停顿;
For sure. 当然。
And one of those is cancer . 其中之一就是癌症。
Cancer tumors are cells. 癌症肿瘤也是由细胞构成的。
And like all cells, they communicate with themselves and their environment around them. 就像所有细胞一样, 肿瘤细胞也会在彼此之间 以及与周围的环境沟通。
So we would like to find venom components that are very good at disrupting how the tumor cells communicate. 所以我们想要找到 能够扰乱肿瘤细胞通讯的毒液成分。
cancer:n.癌症;恶性肿瘤; tumors:n.肿瘤(tumor的复数); disrupting:v.扰乱;使中断;打乱;(disrupt的现在分词)
Similar to how the venom disrupted how the fish cells communicated and the fish couldn't swim away. 就像毒液扰乱了 鱼体内的细胞交流, 因此鱼不会游走一样。
In my lab, we study cancer as a channelopathy. 在我的实验室里,我们把癌症 当作一种通道病来研究。
What this means is, basically, we're looking for venom components that will target channels that are overexpressed in tumor cells versus normal cells. 基本上,这就意味着 我们正在寻找毒液成分, 它会定位肿瘤细胞中过表达的通道, 而不是正常细胞。
disrupted:破坏;使瓦解;使分裂;使中断;使陷于混乱(disrupt的过去分词形式); versus:prep.对;与...相对;对抗;
The cancer that we're most focused on right now is liver cancer. 现在我们的研究最关注的是 肝癌。
And that's because since the 1980s, the death rate of liver cancer has doubled, and it's an emerging threat in the US. 那是因为自 1980 年代以来, 肝癌死亡率增加了一倍, 成为了美国的一个新的威胁。
In a screen in which we had cervical , neuroblastoma , prostate and liver cancer cells, we found a compound from a terebrid snail that seems to attack liver cancer cells, and only liver cancer cells, and none of the others that were tested. 在对宫颈癌、神经母细胞瘤、 前列腺癌和肝癌细胞的筛查中, 我们发现了一种 来自特瑞布里蜗牛的化合物, 它似乎可以攻击, 且只攻击肝癌细胞, 而非其他被测试的细胞。
liver:n.肝;(动物供食用的)肝; death rate:n.死亡率; emerging:adj.新兴的;v.出现,浮现,露出;暴露;(emerge的现在分词) cervical:adj.颈的;子宫颈的; neuroblastoma:n.[肿瘤]成神经细胞瘤; prostate:adj.前列腺的;n.[解剖]前列腺; compound:v.合成; adj.混合; n.大院;
And then, when we took this compound and we injected it into mouse models that were expressing liver cancer cells, it significantly inhibited the growth of the tumors. 然后,当我们使用这种化合物, 并将其注射到 表达肝癌细胞的小鼠模型中, 它显着地抑制了肿瘤的生长。
We're not quite sure how this works yet, we're still investigating the mechanism and how we can make this compound more effective , so you can't rush out to the pharmacy and order up a killer snail liver-cancer therapy treatment . 我们尚无法确定其背后的原因, 仍在调查其背后的作用机理, 以及我们如何可以 让这种化合物更有效, 所以目前,我们还无法 在药房直接买到一只杀手海螺, 并用于肝癌治疗。
injected:v.(给…)注射(药物等); (inject的过去分词和过去式) expressing:v.表示;表达;表露;显而易见;(express的现在分词) significantly:adv.意味深长地;值得注目地; inhibited:adj.抑制的;禁止的;羞怯的;v.抑制;控制(inhibit的过去分词); investigating:v.调查;研究;审查;(investigate的现在分词) mechanism:n.机制;原理,途径;进程;机械装置;技巧; effective:adj.有效的,起作用的;实际的,实在的;给人深刻印象; pharmacy:n.药房;配药学,药剂学;制药业;一批备用药品; therapy:n.治疗,疗法; treatment:n.治疗;疗法;对待;处理;讨论;
Not yet. 现在还不行。
Basically, what we think is happening is that the compound is blocking a specific channel, prohibiting the transmission of a specific chemical that leads to downstream signaling that enables the tumor to multiply and draw blood to itself. 那么我们目前的推测是, 这种化合物阻断了 一个特定的通道, 阻止了一种特定化学物质的传递, 这种化学物质促成了 下游信号的传递, 使得肿瘤能够繁殖 并引导血液进入自身体内。
What we're doing in studying the components of venom to find treatments for human diseases and disorders , is not new, it's what we call natural products drug discovery, and it's been happening for centuries, and in cultures all over the world. 我们通过研究毒液的成分 来寻找治疗人类疾病和失调的方法, 这并不是什么新鲜事, 而是我们所谓的 “天然产物药物发现”, 几个世纪以前 就已经出现在了 在世界各地的文化中。
specific:adj.特殊的,特定的;明确的;详细的;[药]具有特效的;n.特性;细节;特效药; prohibiting:v.禁止(prohibit的ing形式); transmission:n.传输;传染;播送;发射;广播;传动装置; downstream:adv.下游地;顺流而下;adj.下游的;顺流的; signaling:n.发信号;打信号; enables:v.使得; (enable的第三人称单数) multiply:vt.乘; vi.乘; v.多样地; adj.多层的; treatments:n.治疗;疗法;对待;处理;讨论;(treatment的复数) diseases:n.[医]病(disease的复数);[医]疾病;[植保]病害;疾病种类; disorders:n.无秩序,混乱; v.[电子]扰乱(disorder的单三形式);
Venoms are not only giving us cool new compounds , but they're also giving us new ways of thinking about how we treat human diseases and disorders. 毒液不仅为我们提供了 神奇的新型化合物, 也为我们提供了 治疗人类疾病和生理失调的 新思考方式。
And I'll give you three examples. 我想举三个例子。
The first is from killer snails, of course. 首先,当然是杀手海螺。
And so the first drug from these snails that is on the market is called ziconotide, or Prialt, and it's used to treat chronic pain in HIV and cancer patients . 市场上第一种 从这些海螺身上提取的药物 叫做 ziconotide, 或齐考诺肽(Prialt), 用以治疗艾滋病 和癌症患者的慢性疼痛。
Venoms:n.[毒物]毒液;恶意(venom的复数); compounds:n.混合物,化合物;大院(compound的复数形式); on the market:上市;出售的; chronic:adj.慢性的;长期的;习惯性的; HIV:n.艾滋病病毒; patients:n.接受治疗者,病人;(patient的复数)
Prialt is a nonaddictive pain therapy. 齐考诺肽是一种非成瘾的疼痛疗法。
Three magic words when you think about how we're treating pain currently . 想到我们现在是如何治疗疼痛的, 就不得不想到三个神奇的词。
We're using things that have a huge cost of addiction . 我们目前的治疗手段 是以高成瘾性为代价的。
So think of morphine or think of any of your favorite opioid out there. 想想吗啡, 或任何你喜欢的阿片类药物。
What the snails have done is they've shown us a way to treat pain without the addiction, which is huge. 而海螺向我们展示了 一种治疗疼痛而不会导致 严重上瘾的方法。
treating:v.以…态度对待;把…看作;处理;讨论;(treat的现在分词) currently:adv.当前;一般地; addiction:n.瘾;嗜好;入迷; morphine:n.[毒物][药]吗啡; opioid:n.[生化]阿片样物质;类鸦片;
The next example comes from the Brazilian pit viper . 下一个例子, 是来自巴西的响尾蛇。
From these snakes, we've derived a compound called captopril. 从这些蛇中,我们得到了 一种称为卡托普利(captopril)的化合物,
Captopril is used to treat high blood pressure , and captopril is a breakthrough drug. 可用于治疗高血压, 同时也是一种突破性药物。
pit viper:un.蝮蛇;响尾蛇属; derived:adj.导出的;衍生的,派生的;v.得到;推断(derive的过去分词);由…而来; blood pressure:n.[医]血压; breakthrough:n.突破;开始取得成功之时;adj.突破性的;
But not only in and of itself, but because it advanced a whole class of drugs, what we know as ACE inhibitors , which are the most commonly [prescribed] for treating hypertension and heart failure . 但不仅如此, 因为还它推进了 一套药物的研发, 也就是所谓的 “ACE 抑制剂”, 这是治疗高血压和心力衰竭 最常见的(处方)。
The last example is from the Gila monster . 最后一个例子来自 毒蜥(Gila monster)。
And this is a really exciting example of understanding the ecology of these organisms, and pairing it with efficient drug discovery. 从这些生物体的生态学研究, 这是一个非常令人兴奋的例子,
advanced:adj.先进的; v.前进; (advance的过去式和过去分词形式) inhibitors:n.[助剂]抑制剂;禁制因素,[化学]抑制因子;阻止剂(inhibitor的复数); hypertension:n.高血压;过度紧张; heart failure:n.心力衰竭; monster:n.怪物;恶魔;庞然大物;adj.巨大的; efficient:adj.有效率的;有能力的;生效的;
And Gila monsters are binge eaters . 毒蜥是暴食者。
So when they bite into a large meal, they release things in their venom that lower blood sugar . 所以当它们大快朵颐时, 会释放能够导致血糖降低的毒液。
So what's the drug that you think we found from the Gila monster? 那么你认为我们从毒蜥那里 找到了什么药物?
binge:n.狂欢,狂闹;放纵;vt.放纵;vi.狂饮作乐;大吃大喝; eaters:n.食者; release:v.释放;发射;让与;允许发表;n.释放;发布;让与; blood sugar:n.血糖;
A compound that is used to lower the blood sugar in diabetic patients. 一种用来降低 糖尿病患者血糖的化合物。
Now these are three marvelous examples, but we've just scratched the surface. 这些就是三个令人惊叹的例子, 但还只是冰山一角。
There's so much more venom out there for us to study. 还有更多毒液有待研究。
In fact, we think that 15 percent of all the animals on the planet are venomous. 实际上,我们认为 地球上 15% 的动物 都是有毒的。
diabetic:adj.糖尿病的,患糖尿病的;n.糖尿病患者; marvelous:adj.了不起的;非凡的;令人惊异的;不平常的; scratched:adj.受抓损的;有刮痕;v.抓;搔;(scratch的过去式及过去分词)
And I think this is a low estimate , given the fact that we haven't surveyed all the animals on the planet. 而且我认为只是 一个保守的估计, 鉴于我们尚未触及到 地球上的所有动物。
But nature seems to have found something that she likes, and she's repeated it over and over and over again , leading to the vast array of animals that we see around us and all throughout the tree of life. 但是大自然似乎已经 找到了她喜欢的东西, 并且不断地重复, 于是就诞生了 我们周围的大量动物, 以及整个生命之树。
estimate:v.估计;估算;估价;n.估价;(对大小、数量、成本等的)估计;估计的成本; surveyed:v.调查,俯视(survey的过去式和过去分词形式);考察,调研; over and over again:adv.一再地;反复不断地; array:n.数组,阵列;排列,列阵;大批,一系列;衣服;v.排列,部署;打扮; throughout:adv.自始至终,到处;全部;prep.贯穿,遍及;
So whether we're talking about my fave , killer snails, or jellyfish , or the larvae of butterflies and moths , or platypus or slow lorises , whether by sea, land or air, you're sure to encounter a venomous creature . 所以,无论我们谈论的是 我的最爱——杀手海螺、 水母、 蝴蝶和飞蛾的幼虫, 还是鸭嘴兽或懒猴, 无论是在海上、陆地还是空中, 你一定会遇到有毒的生物。
Remember when I told you that venom can be both a superhero and a supervillain, and you doubted me? 还记得我刚才说过, 毒液可以同时是 超级英雄和超级坏蛋, 而你当时对此还表示怀疑吗?
Mhm. 再想想看?
We're in a race to harness all of this venom goodness before we lose the vast majority of animals on our planet. 我们正趁着失去地球上 绝大多数动物之前, 进行一场搜集 所有这些毒液的竞赛。
fave:n.特别喜爱的人; jellyfish:n.水母;[无脊椎]海蜇;软弱无能的人; larvae:n.幼虫;幼体(larva的复数形式); moths:n.飞蛾,蛾(moth的复数); platypus:n.[脊椎]鸭嘴兽; lorises:n.懒猴;蜂猴; encounter:v.遭遇,邂逅;遇到;n.遭遇,偶然碰见; creature:n.生物;动物;(具有某种特征的)人; harness:vt.治理; n.马具; majority:n.大部分:大多数:多数票:成年人:
It's a holistic process . 这是一个环环相扣的过程。
You can't have the therapeutic treatments without having the animals. 没有动物,就没有治疗方法。
And you can't have the animals without having their ecosystems . 而没有这些动物 赖以生存的生态系统, 也就没有这些动物。
So for me and the snails, what it means is we have to save the oceans. 所以对我和海螺来说, 这就意味着我们必须拯救海洋。
holistic:adj.整体的;全盘的; process:v.处理;加工;列队行进;n.过程,进行;方法,adj.经过特殊加工(或处理)的; therapeutic:adj.治疗的;治疗学的;有益于健康的;n.治疗剂;治疗学家; ecosystems:n.生态系统(ecosystem的复数);
And because venomous animals are found everywhere, we basically have to save the planet. 而且因为有毒物种无处不在, 我们就必须拯救整个星球。
So do it for the venomous animals, if you don't want to do it for yourself. 所以即使不为了自己, 也要为了这些有毒生物 而保护地球。
And who knows, some day, snail venom might just save your life. 谁知道呢, 也许某一天,海螺毒素 就可以挽救你的生命。
Thank you. 谢谢。